Google, a company so large that it's become both a noun and a verb, is spreading the goodness of its Google Maps programming even further into the automotive realm with the announcement that it's now being incorporated into General Motors' OnStar eNav technology.

Drivers of late-model Ford vehicles equipped with Sync Traffic, Directions and Information (TDI) will soon be able to plot out their routes using Google Maps on their home computer and then download turn-by-turn directions directly to the car. TDI is a recent addition that adds a GPS receiver which allows Sync equipped cars and trucks to provide directions even if the vehicle doesn't have the full map based navigation system in place.

A Los Angeles woman is suing Google for allegedly providing her dangerous walking directions through Google Maps. According to The Wall Street Journal, Lauren Rosenberg used the free service to get walking directions from one end of Park City to the other. The plaintiff claims that the route led her onto a busy highway with no sidewalks and that she was struck by a driver as a result. Rosenberg is seeking over $100,000 in restitution, and her lawsuit names the driver who allegedly struck her as

Back in January, General Motors announced that OnStar would release a smartphone app to be used in conjunction with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The app allows owners to keep track of charge status, remotely lock and unlock the vehicle, along with providing diagnostic reports and a host of other features.

Back in January, General Motors announced that OnStar would release a smartphone app to be used in conjunction with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. The app allows owners to keep track of charge status, remotely lock and unlock the vehicle, along with providing diagnostic reports and a host of other features.

From time to time, we've been known to ponder some stuff that non-greenies would have no interest in, but that's what happens when a passion for all things green takes over. For example, we've always thought that a great Google Earth app would be one that shows automotive plants across the globe, but why stop there. Throw in things like locations of wind farms, solar parks and a hyrdo-plants and we would start to drool. Well, General Motors either shares a similar vision or company officials are

For car buffs one of the more interesting aspects of Google Maps has been checking out the high resolution satellite imagery of race tracks and manufacturer test tracks around the world. Aside from the engineers who work at those facilities and selected outsiders like the media, the proving grounds are typically tightly guarded places and regular people can't just wander in.

Thanks to inventions like GPS Navigation and online directions, it's getting harder to get lost by the day. Google Maps has been a big hit for folks trying to navigate to new destinations, and the free service just got cooler with the integration of Street-View into driving directions. Now when you enter a destination and get step by step directions, you can also click on a camera icon on the map to get a street-level view of the roads you'll be traveling.

As long as everybody is on to them, Google is apparently set to step out of their surveillance vans and greet the world in a fleet of shiny new Cobalts. A Gizmodo reader happened to spot a StreetView camera van finishing a round of picture taking duty and followed it back to Google's Mountain View, California campus. While driving through the Google lot he spotted several dozen Cobalts with funky antennae on their roofs. It seems these Chevy sedanlets will be the new fleet for the next round of

Wasting time scouring Google Maps with the company's new Street View feature has become our new favorite hobby. Earlier today we showed you one of the vehicles that's used to take the street level pictures. It turns out these vehicles capture some amazing things, and since they're on the ground rather than orbiting the earth, we can actually make out some cool stuff in the pics.